I've also had a hard time determining which mods I want to do while balancing engine longgevity. I too have heard that this engine in pretty much bullet proof and can withstand the extra stresses. The person who has 100k miles on his MINI also has an intake/exhaust and pulley along with some other mods. Hopefully this is a good sign.
As for the BMW/Chrysler or BMW/Peugot, they wanted to get a good engine that could quickly be put into production for the MINI. Developing a new engine takes time and they wanted to get the car out. Another reason for the switch may be the fact that BMW didn't really know that people would want more power. They can't tune the current engine up without either it costing a lot (Works) or threatening to reduce engine life...remember they have to make the engine strong enough for someone to drive it very hard and have it last until the warrenty period is up. |